GPS coordinates are incredibly important in everyday life but few people know exactly what they are and how they work. In this guide we shall look at some general information on GPS coordinates to help give you a better understanding of them.
What is GPS?
GPS stands for Global Positioning System – a series of U.S. based global navigation satellites situated in space. Using signals provided from these satellites users are able to determine reliable positioning, navigation and timing data at all times of the day.
GPS coordinates are decoded by a wide variety of devices including mobile phones, in car navigation systems and GPS locaters. So how do they work? We shall look at this in more detail below.
How do GPS Coordinates work?
The world geodetic system...

GPS coordinates can be written in several ways but sometimes the coordinates you are given may not be suitable for your needs. In this guide we shall look at what typical GPS coordinates consist of as well as ways in which you can convert them from one form to another.
Components of typical GPS Coordinates
In its simplest form, GPS coordinates consist of a number of degrees. However, if you are trying to differentiate between North and South latitude or East and West longitude it gets a little more difficult.
Typical GPS coordinates are made up of three main components – degrees, minutes and seconds.
Degrees are the easiest part of the coordinates to work out. The Earth is divided into 360 degrees and this is divided into half with East and West for...

Finding GPS coordinates is easy – and there are several methods you can use to obtain the coordinates you require. Don’t always just accept GPS coordinates when you find them – it is best to have a general idea of the coordinates you are wanting so you can assess whether they appear reasonable at first glance.
Finding GPS Coordinates Manually
The quickest and easiest way to find GPS coordinates is manually using a GPS receiver. The best time to use one is on a clear day with little wind or elements that may affect the accuracy of your reading.
On your GPS receiver it should tell you how many satellites you are connecting to. There are 24 active global positioning satellites circumnavigating the Earth – and the more of these that you are connected to...

GPS coordinate systems are very important in terms of navigation and positioning in a variety of different situations. In this guide we shall look at what GPS coordinate systems are and some extra information about them.
What are GPS Coordinate Systems?
Geographic coordinate systems refer to a coordinate system that enables all locations on the Earth to be specified using three coordinates – largely using the spherical coordinate system.
As the Earth is not a sphere it has made it incredibly difficult to define a coordinate system that can accurately state topographical data. However geographic coordinate systems have provided the best possible solution to this challenge and are widely used.
GPS coordinate systems refer to devices that utilize the Global...

GPS coordinates are incredibly useful both in the military and civil world – and are essential to modern society’s navigational and mapping systems. In this guide we shall look at how you can read and map GPS coordinates.
What are GPS Coordinates?
GPS is a navigational system that uses signals from satellites in space to help give exact coordinates to a GPS receiving device on Earth to specify an exact location.
There are currently 24 active and 3 back up satellites in space – all owned and run by the United States. By having a GPS receiving device you can connect to several of these satellites which will send down signal that are converted into GPS coordinates.
How do you read GPS Coordinates?
At first glance GPS coordinates look like a jumble of...

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We provide information about GPS coordinate conversions, converters, systems, reading, mapping and much more. We hope you enjoy the contents of our website and find exactly what you are looking for!